ON ST. CANDIDA THE ELDER, CONVERTED BY ST. PETER THE APOSTLE, AT NAPLES,
Century I, after the middle.
HISTORICAL SYLLOGE.
Of her cult and deeds.
Candida, converted by St. Peter the apostle, at Naples. (S.)
BY J. S.
Two holy Neapolitan Women, both of the same name, Baronius inserted in the Roman Martyrology on this day, The memory of Candida the widow in the Fasti, and her eulogy: recording the former thus: At Naples in Campania, the birthday of St. Candida, who first met St. Peter as he came to that city, and, being baptized by him, afterward rested in a holy end. Philip Ferrari followed him in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, where he wove a eulogy in which are comprehended almost all the deeds of this Saint, as they are handed down by various Writers. Candida, he says, surnamed the Elder, to distinguish her from the other Candida, a Neapolitan widow, first met blessed Peter the apostle as he came to Naples, when he was setting out for Rome, and received him with hospitality; and being converted by him to Christ, and instructed in the faith, she was cleansed with the waters of salvation, and freed from a headache from which she continually suffered; since at the Apostle's word she began to be without it. She, burning with charity, being freed from that pain, remembering Aspren, a man distinguished for the uprightness of his life, who had now been sick for twenty years and lay in bed, began to ask the Apostle on his behalf. And he, holding out to Candida the staff on which he leaned, said: Thou shalt give this to Aspren, and shalt say: Peter, or the disciple of the Crucified, commands that, the disease departing at once, thou receive thy former health. And so, having received the staff (which is still preserved in the metropolitan church), when, having held it out to Aspren, she had pronounced the words which the Apostle had commanded, at once he came forth from his bed whole. After the Apostle's departure, Candida, serving God with prayers, fastings, and pious works, worn out with age, fell asleep in the Lord on the day before the Nones of September, and was buried in a church dedicated (as is believed) by the Apostle, in which he is said to have celebrated. On its eve, after Vespers, water is every year blessed by a priest and signed with the relics of the Saint, which they say is preserved uncorrupt the whole year, and profits those with fevers who drink of it, if they approach in faith. Thus far Ferrari; citing the Life contained in the Life of St. Aspren.
[2] Castellanus in his Universal Martyrology announces indeed both Candidas along with the Roman Martyrology: [although Castellanus holds that this one is not to be distinguished from Candida the younger; from various observations,] yet he thinks that there is only one and the same, saying in the margin that the Elder was recently inserted into the Martyrology on the authority of the Life of St. Aspren, which he calls altogether modern. In the year 1619 there was published at Naples a little book, composed at the command of the most eminent Cardinal Decio Carafa, archbishop of Naples, and bearing this title: A Catalogue of certain Saints to be celebrated hereafter with the Office of the Common by all ecclesiastics at Naples and throughout the whole diocese. In this little book, on the fourth day of September, St. Candida the elder is proposed to be celebrated with a semidouble rite with a commemoration of St. Candida the younger. And the following observations are added: The Roman Martyrology has two Neapolitan Candidas on this day, and yet we have hitherto venerated only one, that is, the Elder, with a semidouble Office. Hereafter we shall venerate both on one day. An arm, and some teeth, of the elder Candida the Canons Regular have, as we have received, in the church of St. Peter ad Aram. Of her, in the Life of St. Aspren, and in the records of the Neapolitan church. Now St. Candida the younger was married: and she lived with outstanding piety and faith a thousand years ago, that is, in the reign of Maurice. There is extant a noble epitaph carved in marble in the church of St. Andrew, where her body too is venerated. But from thence part of her bones was honorably translated to the archiepiscopal church into the chapel of the Treasury, and part into the neighboring church of St. Angelo ad Nidum. These observations sufficiently show that Castellanus's marginal note is not exact; and that the elder Candida did not begin to be commemorated on the occasion of the Younger; but that the Elder was venerated at Naples before the memory of the Younger was celebrated. This, I say, follows from the observations given, unless someone should rashly wish to affirm that Candida the younger was first transferred from the seventh century to the times of St. Peter the apostle, and thus gave occasion for inventing another Candida. But errors so gross are not to be presumed, or rashly affirmed; but must be solidly proved.
[3] But what Castellanus says, that St. Candida the elder was inserted into the Roman Martyrology on the authority of the Life of St. Aspren, and from monuments of some antiquity, is true in so far as that almost everything which is narrated of that Saint is taken from the said Life. This we have already given in summary from Ferrari, who followed the Acts of St. Aspren rightly enough. But that Life of St. Aspren is not so recent as Castellanus insinuates; and the authority of that Life is also in some measure supported from elsewhere. Bartolomeo Chioccarelli, in his Catalogue of the Bishops of Naples, page 10, speaks thus about the first Life: There is extant also a Life of Saint Aspren … most sincerely, though elaborated in a rude style and with no embellishment or elegance of speech, but filled only with sincere historical truth, which seems to have been composed (if there is room for conjecture) a little after the times of Pope Silvester and the emperor Constantine, which is preserved written in ancient Lombardic letters in the chapel of the Treasury of the greater church. This the Neapolitan church had been accustomed from the most ancient times to recite in the ecclesiastical Office of that same Saint, arranged into nine lessons, which Office indeed is had published in print. The praised writer recites that Life, and the same was given by us on the third of August under Aspren. But whether it is truly as ancient as Chioccarelli conjectures it to be, I do not determine. Nevertheless its style is simple and pure enough; nor can it be doubted that it is ancient; and it appears to me likely enough that it was written either before the times of the younger Candida, or at any rate not long after. But I observe that that woman who is related to have been converted by St. Peter, and who is now named Candida the elder, is never called by her proper name, but is only called the Old woman, or the Woman, or the aged Little woman. And this omission of the proper name affords some suspicion that the name of that holy Woman was unknown, and that therefore she was called Candida by later men. Yet that suspicion lacks a solid foundation: for that writer could omit the name of St. Candida, because he was not treating of her, but of Aspren. Then all later writers named this Saint Candida, nor does any one affirm that that name was given after the Saint's death.
[4] in which We have an old manuscript, in which is narrated the erection of the chapel of St. Mary de Principio, and in which repeated mention is made of St. Candida, as also of St. Aspren. This writing is praised by Chioccarelli at page 25 thus: The old history of Saint Mary de Principio, which in the solemnities of the dedication of her church was accustomed in ancient times to be read in the ecclesiastical Office, and is preserved in the archive of the canons, written out in Lombardic letters, which Giovanni Villani of Naples seems to have copied almost word for word in his Chronicle of Naples, book 1, chapter XLI. The things related in this manuscript indeed seem stained with fables, and therefore I do not judge that what is read in it about the construction and endowment of that church by Constantine the Great should be transferred hither. Nevertheless I shall transfer hither what is narrated in it about St. Candida, because, on account of whatever antiquity that writing has, it at least avails for distinguishing Candida the elder from the younger. For there was near the said chapel of St. John, and near the portico of the said episcopal palace, a little house, or cell, with an oratory or altar, where, while St. Aspren lived, that holy old woman Candida led a celibate life. Presently it is added that the place was made over to divine worship on account of the devotion of St. Candida. But lower down it is asserted that there was a great concourse of people there, because there that
holy old woman Candida ended her life in the service of God, beside the church and the palace of the said bishop Aspren. I would not indeed assert that dwelling of Candida as certain, or as very probable, because the author of the writing is later by many centuries, as is plain from the duchy of Spoleto and other places which in that writing are designated by more recent names; nevertheless it appears incredible that these things were invented about the younger Candida, who lived in the reign of Maurice, that is, toward the end of the sixth century.
[5] Presently in the same manuscript it is added that the body of St. Candida was buried in the church of St. Peter ad Aram, some things are said as more recent writers also assert. Then concerning her miracles the following is said: And because St. Candida has shone forth with many miracles, and daily shines with them, for the profit of the ignorant it is not to be passed over in silence that, if anyone be troubled or made infirm by the fault of cold, or of a quartan fever, as soon as he shall have devoutly drunk the water of the washing of the head or of the bones of the said Saint, which is prepared every year on the day of her feast, like the miraculous wine of St. Anthony, by the power of almighty God and the merits of the aforesaid St. Candida, he at once grows strong and is straightway freed. Which water indeed, which is wonderful to say, is by the power of God preserved for a year and more incorruptible and savory. So, near enough, the manuscript copy transmitted from Naples in the year 1638 by our Beatillo, who has frequently been praised in this Work. And it is noted as taken from the ancient codices of the greater church of Naples. But some words are so contracted and so wretchedly written in my copy that they could not be read, and therefore had to be omitted. Yet what is given is read clearly enough; nor is the sense of the words changed. But what is here said about the water customarily blessed each year through the relics of the Saint agrees with what was said at number 1 by Ferrari.
[6] Chioccarelli at page XI recites another Life of St. Aspren, about St. Candida the elder, of which I have before me a manuscript copy under this title: How blessed Peter the apostle first came into the city of Naples. Antonio Caracciolo, in his book On the Sacred Monuments of the Church of Naples, chapter 5, speaks thus of this writing by conjecture: Whose author I, if it be permitted to conjecture from the style, make to be Peter the subdeacon, who wrote the miracles of St. Agnellus… Peter the subdeacon lived about the year of Christ twelve hundred. Chioccarelli says nothing of the age of the writing. But I believe that writing more ancient, because it seems to have gone before Alberic, the author of the third Life, who wrote about the year 1220 or 1230, as we shall see. Now in the said Life all the things are related about St. Candida which are in the former. For, the coming of St. Peter to Naples being related, concerning Candida as seen and questioned by him it has this: And by God's disposing (Peter, having entered Naples) beholds a certain rather aged woman passing by there, whom he calls to himself and asks whether she was a citizen of that city, and by what name she was called. To whom she answered that she was a citizen, and was named Candida. And having named her, he questions her about the state of the city, about the bearing of the citizens, about the fashion of their manners, about the qualities of their minds: and what were their rights, what their devotion, what their laws in the worship of the Deity, what their religion in piety, etc. But when from these questions, to which Candida was answering, Peter proceeded to the preaching of the faith, and made mention of the miracles wrought; Candida said that she would believe these to be true if she were freed from the headache with which she was wont to be afflicted. Peter at once by divine power puts to flight the said headache. And the woman believes, and is then baptized. Being sent also by Peter to Aspren, who was sick, she, at Peter's bidding, restored him to health. These things are there recounted at greater length.
[7] The third Life of St. Aspren, which Chioccarelli also indicates, about her conversion by St. Peter, was published in Ughelli's Italia Sacra, reprinted, volume 6, column 19 and following. The author of this is a certain Alberic, who wrote it to Peter, bishop of Naples, and at his bidding. Ughelli understands Peter II; and since he begins his episcopate in the year 1216, the Life as written is referred in the second edition to about the year 1230. Now what Alberic, the writer of this third Life, performed, he himself indicates in the preface to Peter the archbishop in these words: And so, most blessed father eight times over, obeying your commands, I strive to follow the manner of those who are accustomed to address the people declamatorily in church. And, mingling with another style those things concerning the praises of the holy confessor which you yourself gave me written out, I shall try to bring forth some sort of discourse in nine divisions of lessons of moderate size. He had therefore a more ancient Life, and was bidden to polish and amplify it in oratorical speech, as he had already said more clearly above, writing thus: You command … that I take care to pursue in a more diffuse and more polished style those things concerning this holy man which you gave me written out briefly and in unpolished and corrupted speech on a sheet of paper. Alberic did what was asked, and set forth exactly the same things about Aspren and Candida which we read in the Lives before mentioned, whether he had those very ones before him or another ancient manuscript. From these things, I think, it is sufficiently clear that St. Candida the elder was not drawn from a plainly modern Life of St. Aspren; but from monuments not indeed so ancient that everything deserves undoubted credit; yet at least of such antiquity that we cannot suspect the elder Candida to be the same as the younger, who died toward the end of the sixth century. Chioccarelli adds at page 15 letters of the kings of Naples of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and of Gaspar archbishop of Naples of the year 1448, in all of which St. Aspren and St. Candida are said to have been converted by St. Peter; and he adduces many other authors for the same opinion. For the same opinion also, as far as concerns the conversion and episcopate of St. Aspren, several things have been alleged by us under Aspren on the third of August.
[8] and to other things pertaining to her; it is clearly shown, Antonio Caracciolo, praised above, at chapter 5 writes moreover this to our purpose: In an old manuscript Ritual of the church of Naples, in the Litanies which were said for the dying, Candida too was invoked with the other holy virgins… But since in the ecclesiastical Office she is venerated as a holy Woman, we judge her to have been such, though not adorned with the crown of virginity. I readily agree with Caracciolo that the virginity of St. Candida is not likely, if she was of so advanced an age when she was converted by St. Peter as is everywhere indicated in the Life of St. Aspren: for virginity was rare among the gentiles. About her noble birth and kinship with St. Aspren I cannot so easily agree with Caracciolo. He says indeed: That she was also noble, and, as some think, a kinswoman of Aspren, is certain with me: with some it is doubtful. But he does not allege solid reasons for that certainty. For that some modern writers have affirmed that she was a kinswoman of Aspren, and that the common people so suppose, does not suffice for certainty, if ancient monuments are lacking. It would prove somewhat more if what he adds in these words were sufficiently distinct and certain: Meanwhile, however, I do not see why we ought not to believe Summonte, a truly diligent writer; who affirms that he read in ancient monuments of the church of Naples that Candida was a kinswoman of Aspren. But he did not indicate of what time those monuments are which Summonte called ancient, and therefore we do not know whether they suffice to produce certain credit: for that the matter might be certain to us, both the antiquity and the credibility of the monument had to be proved, and the very words recited.
[9] From what has been said thus far I conclude that it is by no means to be doubted that it is not likely that Candida the elder is the same as the younger. that Candida the elder is distinguished from the younger, which I wished to prove against Castellanus. For first, the perpetual tradition of the church of Naples, which at least seems to have flourished from the ninth century, holds that Candida was converted by St. Peter, and was the occasion of Aspren's conversion. But it is in no way likely that this was believed of a woman who died toward the end of the sixth century, some of whose deeds are known, and of whom there is extant an ancient epitaph in which it is asserted that she died in the reign of Maurice. Secondly, Candida the elder is everywhere called the Old woman: but the younger is asserted to have died about her fiftieth year of age. Thirdly, the Elder was of old invoked with the virgins, as Caracciolo testifies; and in the ancient monument, or at least one of the middle age, adduced at number 4, she is said to have led a celibate life, probably because she was a widow. But the younger could be believed neither a virgin nor a widow, since it is established that she died before her husband. Fourthly, the relics of the Elder are preserved at the Altar of Peter, and she is believed to be buried there. But the body of the younger is in the church of St. Andrew ad Nidum. Fifthly and lastly, there was never any confusion in the Acts of the two, nor are the deeds of the one read as attributed to the other: nor did anyone ever before Castellanus, so far as I know, wish to make one out of the two, or doubt of the distinction, nor do I truly find any foundation for doubting; so that I think Castellanus asserted this from mere ignorance of the deeds of both, in that he did not find that two were of old venerated at Naples.
[10] Lastly, that I may put an end to this Commentary, I subjoin from the Life of St. Aspren, The deeds of the Saint given by us on the third of August, all those things which concern St. Candida, that from them it may be plain what was added by Ferrari. The prince of the Apostles, Simon Peter, having founded the church of Antioch, on his way to Rome came in passing to the walls of the city of Naples: where, wearied by the long journey, resting a little, he beheld a certain aged Little woman passing by. He inquires of her about the state of the city, about the bearing of the citizens, about the fashion of their manners, about the qualities of their minds: what life, what laws, what ceremonies of the laws, what devotion in the worship of the Deity, what religion in piety was in them; and whether, if the unanswerable reasoning of any new sect became known to them, they would become ready and easily moved to receive it. Of his own condition too, at whose instigation he was hastening to the city, he told the same Little woman: and, evangelizing Christ, he opened up to her in order what new things he bore, what unseen, what unheard-of and happy things had arisen in those then modern times, … relating to her the signs and prodigies of Christ, seen by him. At which saying of Peter's the Old woman, breaking silence, said: I shall hold it certain, and believe it beyond doubt, if, the name of him whom you extol with such great praises being invoked, my pains be loosed and health be fully restored to me.
[11] from the Life of St. Aspren, Then Peter, the name of Christ being invoked, said: To thee, pestilent disease, who dost impiously torment this Old woman, flee away, vanish, and be emptied into nothing, giving honor to the name of Him to whom, with the Father and the life-giving Spirit, belongs equal power, equal honor, harmonious glory, the same majesty unto all ages of ages. And when the Christ-worshippers, who had followed Peter's steps from the borders of Antioch, had answered,
Amen; the Old woman was at once healed, and marvels that she was so suddenly, so quickly, renewed, and made another out of another. The Woman believed, and is bathed in the saving dew of the regenerating water of baptism, and the Woman says to Peter: I have a very dear friend, by name Aspren, shaken by a most cruel disease, a man kindly, pious, modest, sober, and religious: … who, if he can be healed by you, will at once receive the faith which you preach; and will prove a fit asserter of it, a strong defender and champion. Then Peter said to the Old woman: Go quickly, and taking Aspren by the hand, say to him: Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ crucified in Judea, commands thee that, thy sickness vanishing, thou be forthwith restored to thy former health. And the Woman, coming to Aspren, had scarcely fulfilled Peter's commands when (that is, had fulfilled them, when) he was healed on the spot. Thus far concerning Candida, and there is nothing more in the Life of St. Aspren. But these things are recounted in exactly the same manner, though in more words, in the two other Lives.
[12] to which more recent writers have added some things. Wherefore I do not know whence more recent writers, and with them Ferrari, drew that St. Peter delivered his staff to Candida when she was sent to heal Aspren. Likewise I do not know whence Ferrari with others took the day of her death; and on what foundation Caracciolo asserts the year of her death as certain in these words: Candida, heaped up with the merits of good works, died in the year of Christ 78, the ninth of Pope Linus. I strongly suspect that the day and the year of her death were altogether unknown; but that it then began to be asserted that she died on the fourth day of September, because on that day she is venerated; and that the fourth day of September was chosen for her feast because on that day Candida the younger, of whom we shall treat below, died and is venerated. But the year asserted by Caracciolo appears to me not only uncertain, but also little probable. For, if she was an Old woman at the time of her conversion, it is not likely that she then survived for almost thirty-four years, as would follow from Caracciolo's reckoning. For these causes I have fixed the year of her death in a somewhat vague manner after the middle of the first century. Lastly, if anyone should wish to inquire whether the things which have been recited about St. Candida from the Life of St. Aspren appear altogether certain; I shall candidly confess that the Life of St. Aspren is neither so ancient nor so accurately written that everything ought to be held as altogether certain; but that these things are at any rate more probable than the rest.